IFFS & SEASHELLS Chapter NEW 16 (Theme Resilience, Light Paranormal, light Suspense, God of Bible & sames content, general audience)
IFFS & SEASHELLS
Author & Writer : Ms Izabel LAnglais
Writing started January 2023 right after Yule started
Words Count: 25,829 words
Theme: General audience, Simple Natural trend living,
Homestead, Inter-Faith, Inter-Racial, Spiritual, Pets, Resilience, Suspense
light, Light action,
Characters: Miss Sophia & her cat Baobab, Mr Zachary her Host,RubΓ½ , new characters to support the developing plot StellΓ₯ & DΓΆ, l(_friend_), Black & his gang
*** This is still a work in progress not proofread yet.
Chapter 1
The attic was warm enough,
too warm even, she would never need to open the flap grills above the baseboard
connected from the sides of the fireplace’s heart, she noticed, looking at the
beautiful fireplace in her new room; the smoke was going up to a huge
rectangular metal vent at the top back of the fireplace’s heart into a brick chimney
along the outside wall; placing her hand on the fireplace mantel, the stones
felt hot and she quickly moved her hand away, even before to touch the brick “
be careful Miss” extending his hand to
stop her so she wouldn’t burn herself; “yes ! The brick are hotter then i would
have imagine this high from the fire” she replied smiling
“We have the fire on at night too, a special attendant
employee attend to it so no one that do not have their own get cold either, and
of course everyday “ he added with pride in his tone “You are fortunate to have
your own; we will bring you wood everyday for you to maintain it yourself”
“This will do perfect “ She affirmed not showing her
overexcitment to have her own indeed and not just the warmth coming from the
main manor one. This was surely a compliment and sign of trust to her and this
reassured her.
“You are welcome to stay as long as you feel comfortable
here ... we will bring you work and food every morning and at night after we
finish eating ourselves” he explained; “come “ he gestured her gently to follow
him to the other side of the room where they had entered from “see here is a
receiving door for you to pick up your work brought, from the other side in the
corridor, by an attendant; we will send to you and they will place any items to
your attention in this compartment from the other side in the corridor and
close the door for you to have full privacy and discretion to retrieve your
items of food or work at the time convenient for you, from your own room, and
not have to go outside or even been seen ... “ He stopped in his explanation,
anxious of her reaction
She listen attentively opening the door in the wall
looking at the area in the wall between both doors where the such items would
be left for her ... “How ingenuous “ she thought and stated “ this would be
perfect for me I assure “
She turned on her eels and walk toward the window, a
lovely set of 3 windows within gables and a tree in the front, and inside a
cill to sit or place book or items of choice ... He looked relieved of her
approval of his terms and arrangements and walked toward the window with her “
This over there is the Garden Room with our Bird collection ... And there are
the Gardens attended by the most dedicated and from the best gardening schools
... The pond is used for our Goldfish collection and over there is the gardens
and orchards and vineyard, attended also by the best gardeners in the region we
employ ... for our table and the wine we make ... She smiled approvingly “The
view is beautiful too “ she said softly ... he smiled and continued ... “There
at the edge in the corner we have a stable for our horses and carriage ... and
there at the opposite direction are the hens and few cows roaming in the wilder
field , but fenced and guarded of course, for the milk and eggs ... “This is a
very lovely estate and well planned and managed” she complimented ... “Yes, we
are proud of it and wish your stay with us to be as comfortable as might be “ he
insisted to make her feel comfortable and asked
“Is there anything you will need for today ?”
She hesitated ... she needed a million things, but
couldn’t have them or ask them at once or even think what would be the one
thing she would need the most until tomorrow and not make her look greedy ...
looking around she seen the Pitcher and washbin on the bed side table with a
towel, and coming close water was in already ...
She was going to ask but he added before her “Maybe I
will send for you some lunch and Tea with some more hot water for washing ... “
and you can have the time to get organise and let us know what is that would
make you more comfortable ...
She was going to ask about the work but again he added
before her “ We do not expect you to start your work immediately...maybe
tomorrow we will bring you some after you get settle, fed and rested properly “
He added reassuringly
“That seemed very kind of you and I appreciate”...”Thank
you again for ...”
He raised the palm of his hand facing her and said “do
not worry , it is our pleasure truly” Turning
toward the door he left in a second saying “Take some rest for now, I will send
hot water and lunch with Tea for you “
“Thank you ...” she said and he was already gone
*
She returned to the window and sat on the cill before to get to her trunk and bag ... it was peaceful here ... the view was beautiful ... she could see all the gardens and the tree by her window was making a nice shade with privacy and chirping from the birds in it ...This felt safe here ... Her cat came to brush her ankle to get her attention “ ah there you are my little “ she picked him up and placed him on her lap petting him ... “look at this view Baobab ... isn’t it pretty” she said to him gently ... he looked at the window and didn’t move still a little on his guard but in her arm safe he started to purr ... “we will be fine here “ she said approvingly...
A small knock from the corridor and a faint voice calling
said “Your tray of food and hot water Miss” came from a gently young feminine
voice
“Thank you ...” walking toward the door in the wall at
the other side of the room she opened the door and found a silver tray with a
dome on it, a silver tea pot with cream and sugar and all the silverware and
cup as a special guest would receive at the main table ! What a compliment they
were making her...she tought...inside was hooks to slide a second tray above the
first one and there was indeed a second tray with a pot of hot water with lid
and a second towel with fancy soap and a fancy comb for her hair and some
ribbons ... Lovely and attentive she tought... Bringing the meal tray to the
small table by the window and placing it
there she then took the second one and brought it too to the window cill. She
wanted to eat right away but decided it was better to freshened up first so she
filled the basin with the hot water and placed the pitcher by the window cill
after giving some to her cat Baobab in
his small dish she brought for him. She
washed her face and arm and hands and the warm water felt like she was
refreshened already...some on her hair and pinned them back ... she decided to
wash more properly after she ate...siitting at the table she opened the dome
and found a delicious choice of eggs, potatoes, vegetables bread, cheese butter
and jams...tea with cream and sugar... she took some eggs and gave them to
baobab who would eat anything you would place in front of him...and indeed he
ate purring after having approved by smelling it first...now she could eat if
Baobad was eating then it was safe for her ... she laugh and started to eat as
she was starving and the food was so delicious... she felt alive again and
warmed inside...her ache was lifting ...after she ate she filled and prepare
her cup of tea and sat by the window to look outside and sip her tea...she felt
like changing to her indoor robe as she felt the clothes from outside to make
her ill now ... by the room divider... she could reach the basin with hot water
and washed herself with soap and water and changed to more comfortable indoor
robe...washed her hair too and rinse them witht he pitcher water that was cool
but not cold...using the lovely new ribbons she braided her hair ... filled the
pale in the room for the soppy used she washed her outdoor over dress and
clothes and hanged them on the hook by the hot brick of the chemny ...
She placed the pale of soil water in the door in the wall
to be picked up as the custom and the hot water pot and tray ...but she kept
the food one as she didn’t ate all and there was lot of treats too for tea time
... she wished they would bring more tea for it later ... she felt sleepy and
decided a nap would be a good idea now washed and rested before tea time or
dinner... closing the dome on the dish she checked the lovely bed and seen it
was dressed with soft delicate satin sheets and a soft wooly cashmere blanket
... returning to the chemny to check if the clothes would dry, yes indeed they
were warming already and she noticed a little handle out of the brick and
pulling it found a small shelf in stone to placed the tray to keep it warm with
the tea ...so she placed it there for when she would wake up ...
Lying in this comfortable bed she drifted to a comforting
and healing sleep with Baobad asleep on the chair by the window...
........................................
Chapter 2
She woke up in a fright
sweating all drenched her heart racing; her eyes were open but she seemed to
barely see around her. She felt a bump on her bed and seen only Baobab eyes in
the dark looking at her; feeling relieved he was by her side she grabbed him
petting him and stared to get her memory back; the left of the fire was in low
red hot ashes now and now giving much light where she was, but the place was
comfortable; she was on a comfortable bed; Baobab was purring reassuring her;
it was coming back to her slowly; the room upstairs, a man talking to her,
eating, falling asleep for a nap; Her eyes got used to the low light in the
room and so she could see the window with the curtains still open but it was
dark outside; she had sleepped in she
thought; nothing was moving around , no sound; she walked to the window and
indeed it was nightime early, some Lamp outside were illuminating the front of
the Manson. She walked to the fireplace and moved the red ashes with the ashes
stick to bring flames, not much came out; the fire was almost all gone; beside
in a pale was wood sticks and a log was on the other side; she through the
small wood sticks on top of the small left flames and waited to see if they
would get into flames; no paper or items to hurried it; she kneeled down to
blow on the small sticks and slowly the flames got to it and they started to
flame too with yellow high flames, now that the fire was set for sure she
placed the log delicately on top of them and hoped it would get onto flame
before the sticks were done, blowing on it few times she waited and the log
started to flame too soon; low yellow flames with red ashes burning from under.
Relieved that she had light and warm now; she looked around and the room was
bright; she closed the curtains and locked the window; walking around the room
to make sure nothing was under the bed or anywhere since she slept; Baobab was
following her.
She seen the table and the
food she had left for tea that was still there; did they bring her dinner ? she wondered ... at least she could eat
this if she had missed dinner.
She walked to the little
wall door and opening it slowly to check if there was anything left for her
there ... OH ! A huge grin appeared on her face as she
Thanked God in her heart that they had left a full tray of food for her even if
she didn’t answered sleeping and more items in a box on the shelf above the
tray. Curiously she extended her arm for the box but hesitating she stopped thinking she had to get the fod
first as it was more a blessing gesture and would be more auspicious...so she
reached for the tray of foods and placed it on the table too and went for the
box on the shelf...she pulled it slowly assessing the weight first and what it
could be...it was closed ; a lovely wooden antique box with a lid closed by a
ribbon; it was light; no note on the shelf or anywhere in the wall opening;
She brought it beside the
fire and left it on the floor for now to go get a chair or a mat to sit on.
She looked around and
remembered there was a clothes rack hanger by the fireplace side as she had
noticed it and thought it would be great for drying her washed clothes ;
looking was the soft blanket she had noticed before on one rod , then she seen
under this one was a rough one...perfect
for the floor to sit on and the soft one for her shoulder...she placed the
rough weaved mat on the floor and took the little box on her lap; pulling the
ribbon she undid the bow and opened the lid so gently a little suspicious what
it could be inside...
______________
Baobab came to smell it and
tried to see inside too; little sachets and a paper packaging bag that looked
like a flour bag but too small ; she took it and seen on the front a writing
“hope your cat will love” ah! She exclaimed, this is for you Baobab ... and she made him smell it and he seemed
all of a sudden very hungry so she opened the bag and looking inside that it
did looked like some dry piece of meat or fish ... she took some in her hand
and presented it to him to smell; he started to purr loudly and smelling it ;
she placed it on the floor beside her and he started his tasting ; she observed
him and he started to eat; she knew if it wasn’t good he probably wouldn’t eat it
so it must be fine ; she went to the washbin to wash her hand from the fire and
cat food; and looked at her tray and opened the dome over the plate looking
what it was and if still hot; unfortunately it looked stale and barely warm but
looked delicious; she could eat it cold ... hum
... the teapot water was barely warm too ... she felt disappointed as she
really wished for a hot tea now ... maybe
there was something to place items over the fire ? ... she looked around
the fireplace and didn’t find anything ... what
if she placed the silver teapot in the flames ? Maybe it would ruined it so
better not ... she wished for these cooking stove that keep the room warm too
but took herself not to be unappreciative ... then she seen on the top of the
fireplace inside was a hook to hang ... A
teapot !...of course ... so she took the silver teapot and placed the hook
into the handle and hoped the water would not put the fire down pouring from
one side ... satisfied she took one of
the dishcloth and hoped to use it to get it back when warm; Baobab was still
eating ... she had a small dish for him in her handbag ... she went to take it
and brough it back but he was almost done already... I have to get a little organise here ...she thought to
herself...then she had a crazy idea...she went to the wall opening and looked
at the shelf dividing it as it had got her attention before but she didn’t know
why... it was in stone not in wood ... hum...she
wondered if she could use it ...she took it out of the groove where it standed
and looked at it ... it was engraved under it with a sign and dark like stained
or burned ! Maybe it is a oven or fire
stone indeed the bottom was pretty stained like it had been used and the
top was fine so maybe they had recycled it for a shelf...she brough it to the
fireplace and looked if she could place it on the top of the log but of course
it wouldn’t stand and there wasn’t a stand for the wood either to place it on
top ... and the teapot was still hanging on the hook ... then there was this groove
at the back with a round ring to pull it or ? ... she took the fire stick and
try to hook iy on it and pulled slowly...there was a framed rack in cast iron
that came out and the shelf could sit on top ... it seemed pretty heavy and far
into the back wall even if pulled out so strudy ... the teapot was in the way
in the middle so she tried to take it with the dishcloth but it was hot and so
she decided to place the shelf under it and moving the shelf up under the
teapot it satted on the top of the shelf , a little heavy but raising it a
little bit more she unhooked it while balancing the shelf to the side it was
tipping and now on the top of the shelf
she brough it on the top of the chair ... satisfied with her having warm water
she took it from the shelf with the dishcloth and placed it on the table on the
cloth not to burn the table ...this place was new and she felt she had only
tombs...she brought the shelf back and placed it on the castiron frame into the
foreplace and it satted there perfectly ! she then brought her silver plate
with the dome on it and sat it on the shelf ... now she was starting to feel
better knowing she had warm water and warm food and all on her own instead of
cold from her ingeniosity and investigating
details ... she could go and make herself her tea now and always have warm
water to wash or tea or milk or hot food ... she went to make this tea she was
craving for and sat to check the sachets and the rest of the box now with her
cup of tea while Baobab was washing his wiskers after his meal and her dinner
getting hot again ...
____________
She went back to the little wooden box and moved the tiny
sachets and under was a pen and some sheets of paper...they are reading my mind she thought smiling...there was also one
candle for the table lantern and some matches in a tiny box; she opened one
sachet and found seeds inside ... then the other one the same and all of them
... seeds !? she now was wondering
... no note again anywhere ... she went to place them by the windowcill and
took a look outside ... the night was set now with a beautiful sky without
clouds but only stars...and the lanterns she could see on the propriety...all
seemed calm and quiet...she was to open the window to check outside better...but
kerked as she eard a cracking noise from the end of the room wall...some chill
came over her but she thought maybe they had brough something in the little
door in the wall...as she opened it silently ... she was too scared to talk and
asked to the corridor if there was someone in case in case they didn’t answer and feeling to
hide her voice for some reason...opening the little door she found a note on a
small parchment paper ... “Happy to see you are up and getting accustomed to
your place ... hope you enjoyed the dinner and that your little cat friend
liked his meal...do not open the window at night or let the light from an open
curtain be seem from outside...your host ... ”
She felt relieved there
wasn’t anyone somehow and that they didn’t ask where the shelf inside was...but
a little chill raised the hair on her arms from the coincidence about the
window she was going to open and the note at the same time ?!
She went back to her
reheating meal and it seemed it was warm enough now to eat it and so taking it
from the shelf with a dishcloth she brought it to the table and opened the
silver dome over it and a little steam came from the food....it was warm
perfectly...and was smelling delicious...
She ate all of it and what
she had kept for her tea time for her dessert...she felt so hungry...it was
most delicious...
Some cake was for the
dessert but she kept this with the cream for later
Poured some of it in Baobab
dish for his milk.
She felt full and sleepy ...
The fire was good and the
flames high now from the log...the shelf there was surely too hot to remove it
... should she leave it there ? ... She placed the teapot back on it with a
teabag inside and hoped it was made for this and wouldn’t break if too
hot...she could take it out tomorrow if cooler.
She didn’t felt like emptying
her trunk yet but just wished to sit by the fire for a while...she had a book
with her she brought and so she could read by the fire for a little bit and
brought one of the table chair by the fire. It was surely late and she changed
into her nightgown and left her clothes on top of the room divider
screen...there was a rocking chair...surprised she giggled....how strange to place a rocking chair
there....then a inner voice seemed to tell her an image of a mother
nursing...she stopped to think...of course...maybe
a young mother was staying here before her and was nursing her baby discretly
behind the screen...
She
decided she needed it instead by the fireplace and brough it there and placed
the table chair back at the table ... by the creen room divider was a vanity
and a small chair she could use this chair if she need to get dress ...
Happy about this, she sat at
the fireplace with the fire crackling sound and the light in the whole
room...took her book to continue where she was at reading it with Baobab
sleeping by her feets...
_______________
An hour went by and she felt
sleepy and after her toiletery she was to go to bed ... the fire would
certainly stay until the morning and she could ask about more wood tomorrow...
Everything was quiet and she
lighted the lamp oil on the vanity dresser to leave for the night very low...
Suddenly some noise seemed
to come from outside and voices...with the window closed it wasn’t very clear
but it seemed to be chaotic...she went to the window and tried to ear but
couldn’t ear clearly ... from the side she tried to see beside the curtain
outside but she could only see the inside of the gable...it seemed very dark
outside and she could see stars but the lanterns must be out as it was darker
then before and still some loud voices and noise ... a horse maybe...for sure a
horse maybe few...she felt a little worried...she grabbed Baobab and felt the
noises had moved and seemed to be under her...maybe someone had got into the
house...definitely there was the sounds of some events hectic getting closer
and movements under her it seemed and voices but she couldn’t ear what they
were saying or was it another language...she frozed...they were now talking
very loudly and more then one person...men...it was a foreign language...she
felt panicking...what if they were to
come upstairs...
She looked around and
decided to hide behind the room divider screen with baobab...then she changed
her mind and took it instead and placed it in front of the fireplace and it
made the room very dark...she grabbed Baobab and placed him in his crate bag and
rolled under the bed that she had made back and brought the tray on the table
with her under the bed too to leave the table free ... the trunk was on the
floor on the other side of the bed on the floor...she rolled under the bed with
Baobab in his bag and tried to make the less noise possible not to attract
attention... but the voices and rumcus was now close to the stairs direction
and the argument was still going on ... now they were coming upstairs and
seemed furious ... one man or few...seemed to argue them to stop and leave but
she couldn’t ear what they were saying... she was praying under her bed and
Baobab was still and quiet too like he knew something upsetting or fringhtening
was happening ... suddenly she eard the door in the wall bursting open from the
other side i the corridor and felt a person examining it furiously...another
trying to stop it raising his voice ... the person pushed the door on her side
and since she had forgot to lock it it burst open inside the room... from under
the bed she could almost see it all...she was praying in her head her eyes
closed...”go away...please make them go
away...” The voices stopped for a moment and one almost sound like he was
now laughing at the intruder and sternly continued to repeat what he was saying
in this other language...now the other person or group of person were not talking but seemed to
look into the opening to the room and turned on their heeled furious with a lot
of commotion in the stairs rushing down...she stayed frozen for a long time after
all the noise were over just in case they were still there ... she eard horses
again and the sound seemed to come from outside now... there was a gunshot
noise but no screem... and the horse in fright ... more screeming and the noise
leaving the front of the mansion to the road it seemed...
After a log while she came
out from under the bed with Baobab and
opened the his bag...he stayed inside frozen too ... she went behind the screen
in front of the fire and didn’t want to light yet the oil lamp ... She waited
thinking someone would came to talk to her about this but no one came...after
what seemed anhour she moved the screen and sat on her rocking chair...she
remembered her tray on the floor under the bed and went to place it back on the
table ... Thank God she didn’t placed it in the door opening when she was done
as she should have done for the Maid to pick it up or these person would have
seen it... She sat there and waited silently...then she decided to open the oil
lamp a little low and Baobab finally came out of his bag...She fell asleep like
this and no other noise came for the whole night...like it never happened...she
woke up and went to bed for the rest of the night and though it was probably
over...she would ask tomorrow or maybe not...a gunshot...hopefully her host and
his family were fine...
She felt asleep praying with
Baobab by her feet on the bed, watching, guarding, not purring ... just staring
at the little door in the wall...
_______________
Chapter 3
She woke up again drenched
by nightmare fevers and in a haze confused; after few minutes looking around
she started to relax seeing Baobab just there still by her feet and her trunk
still full by the side of the bed. It was sunny outside by the side of the
curtain the light coming in; still the room was full of light even with the
curtain closed and the table was full of dishes from yesterday; nothing had been moved or touched while she was sleeping...no one came in... she
felt more secure knowing that even with the last night events, no one had come
inside her room while she slept; now remembering last night she felt worried
that no one came either...what if
something had happened to them ? She
walked to the wall little door and checked inside after listening first for any
noise or movements in the corridor...nothing...no sound...she opened it
delicately and breathed releived that there was indeed a tray inside for her
... just as the other days ... Thank God
they must be fine then ... she thought to herself .
This time the tray was on
the top shelf and she pulled it slowly and found a breakfast tray with a cup
for the tea and a small silver teapot on it with a dome for the plate; as she
pulled it out to bring it to the table or window cill, she noticed that the
shelf she had took had been replaced by another one but placed at the bottom
with nothing on it ... it seemed not to fit there perfectly and not sitting
totally flat either...after she placed quickly the tray on the window cill she
came back to investigate the matter ; she moved it and it was wobely indeed
like sitting on something under too big or sticking out and this wasn’t like this yesterday ?! it must be something new they had
placed there ?! into the wall ?! She
raised the small stone shelf and found it was indeed sitting on something
sticking out of a whole or compartment under it into the wall ... a log was
there ! she placed the shelf by the wall on the floor to have all the place to
work in the tray area ... she moved and twisted the log and pulled it out of
there and tried to look into the opening, then she noticed 2 more small log
there vertical and pulled them too placing all by her feet on the floor...now
she had forgotten yesterday and was laughing to this strange invention ... a
bag was at the bottom after she pulled the 2 logs and could see the string
attached to a tiny hook on the side of the compartment at the top where the
logs were to make sure she could reach it...she placed her arm in the opening
and grabbing the tied bag by the top pulled it a little... it was a little low
to be able to pull it up so she grabbed the string from the hook and pulled on
it to get the bag up...the bag was deep but light thankfully ... she placed it
on the floor too and opened it to look inside and it was more bags inside ... What an invention ! ... Now all this
had came out of this tiny door compartment for trays ... ?! she was again laughing
by herself at this ingeniosity !
She decided that this wasn’t
urgent since she had took it all out...hesitating she took the fire stick and
tried to use it to check inside the wall if there was anything else but it
wouldn’t fit as it was too long and straight so she decide to forget about this
and closed the little door ... again she hesitate...she took the stone shelf
she had removed first and placed it back on the top of the whole and at the
bottom of the tray area and now it was sitting perfect like a bottom shelf for
the food tray...better...she though in
case it someone looked like yesterday inside and like this they would never
know about this secret place ...
She left everything there
... no one could see it since the little door was closed and she opened the
curtains checking first by the side if anyone was there or any commotion like
yesterday ... but all seemed quiet and desert ... the tree was camouflaging the
window and with the gable...surely no one could see if the curtains were closed
or open ... then she thought ... even if the room was empty , someone would
open them for the day of course ... reassured she sorted the food on the tray
left there and placed what items still good for later on the table and the milk
to BaoBab and the tea pot ... she remembered the little handle coming out of
the fireplace top under the mantle and
pulling it she placed the tea pot on it ... the stone shelf was warm from the
fire ... perfect to add to the keeping food warm ... the left over went to
BaoBab or he would have been offended and she placed the whole tray and dishes
back in the little wall door sitting on the bottom...then she hesitated and
took the little shelf that was on top of the logs and placed the tray back and
it was covering perfectly the whole where the logs were and so like this she
had an extra stone in case needed...they
surely wouldn’t mind since this one was not there yesterday...she would write a
note and ask if it was ok or if they didn’t placed a new one then she will put
it back.
Today there wasn’t any extra
hot water then for tea ... hum ...
her pitcher had still water in but cold and the fire was out ... her washbin
and pot needed to be emptied but she wasn’t sure where she was to leave them
... hum ...she would go step by step
and not get overwhealmed...first she could just wash her face and redo her hair
quickly and see after for the rest...she was hungry and did so and decided she
would do the rest later or write a note for the maid to ask what she couldn’t
figure out ...
She washed her face and hair with the cold
water and went to eat first ... after her meal and a more then appreciated tea
she felt better already. She checked her clothes she had washed and they were
dry ... so she could change and this would look better ...
She found a rag to clean the
table and placed the tray back on the top of the tray compartment into the wall
sliding in the side rods for it. She had kept again some food for later and had
enough for few snacks now.
The second tea pot fitted
also on the fire top stone shelf...
She brought the logs by the
fire and decided this was first to do so she started the fire with some matches
and the paper bag from the food they had sent for BaoBab and his was now in a
little fabric bag she had brought for his food ... very few wood starter left
but since the fire was out for only few hours maybe the log very dry would
probably set into fire soon ... so she used the smallest one they had brought
for her ...
She took the paper and pen
and started a list of what she might need ... cisors, fire knife, ... then she eard a sound in the wall...she
startled...was it the maid or the man from yesterday ... she went to hide
behind the roomdivider screen and waited...no one called for her or asked about
the shelf ... after some time she went and check very carefully and the trays
were gone ... she found a huge tin chauldron that took the whole compartment
instead of the trays ... hot water !
she thought happily ... but it was light ... a little disappointed and at the
same time ashame to be disappointed since they had treated her so well so far
and surely this cauldron they brought her would be of some help ... looking
inside she seen items ...
Walking to the rocking chair
she placed it on her lap saying to Baobab “Look
what they brough us Baobab ?! “ she
pulled the items from the cauldron, a pair of fancy prΓ©cised cisors for sewing,
a bunch of wool and ribbons and string all different and loose, pulling on them
she felt the different textiles, all different size but scraps obviously ...
one roll of yarn ... a few candles to replace the one used yesterday or started
... a pocket blade foldable ...they are
reading my minds she said to herself ... she wondered as there
wasn’t any notes again ... was this her work ... what was she supposed to do
with this ... or was it only for herself ...
She looked at the fire that
has vanished under the log without enough small starting woods ... then she
remembered the bag with the logs and opened it placing the cauldron on the
floor with the items still in it ... there were clamps on the rim of it ... she
was considering in silence how she would make the best use of it ...as she was
opening the bag she was thinking the yarn would fit through the clamp and then
she could hang it on the hook over the fireplace if she could get the fire
going ... Baobab came to smell inside the cauldron and look what it was ... one
bag in the bigger long bag was piece of wood for starting the fire ... Ah! There it is ...she thought to
herself...another bag had some sort of metal devices of screws and clip to end
the crew so to attached somewhere ?! and another one with more seeds ... one
small had some sort of peatmoss ...
maybe for Baobab litter ... but No since
another bag had loose wood chips dust for it ... she looked at his box she
had brough with her on the other side of the fireplace and though it probably
needed more sand or this would be perfect ... the rest of the bag was long
stick but sanded and polished some longer then the others thight with a fancy
string ... what could this be ... she also placed them on the mantel for later
and to make sure she wouldn’t place them in the fire by mistake at night, until
she could figure what they were for ... certainly not for fire wood...too
polished ...
Amazing,
so she didn’t even had to ask for anything ... just get
organise...
She placed the seeds in
their little bag with the seeds from yesterday on the mantel. Brought the
woodsdustchips beside the cat litter...
ClingCling
Clingcling ... she turned and seen Baobab playing with
something his paw inside the cauldron ... oh!
What did you find ? ... she went to look, moving the wools and ribbons with
her hand, there there was a metallic object at the bottom...same as the
cauldron tin color, she didn’t noticed it first...what’s this ?
She pulled it delicately ...
Baobab was examining, so proud to be the one to have found it, purring ... a
_______________ ... ??!!?? she looked at it and placed it too on the mantel to
figure it out later ... patted Baobab for his help and gaved him more treats
... We have work to do Baobab ... this
can wait ... I will use this to boil water instead of the teapot over the fire
... and first make a fire that will work ...
She went to change very
quickly from her nightgown to her dried clothes hanging on the fireplace side
hook from yesterday ...
After organising the fire
and the yarn through the cauldron clamps to make strings solid enough to
support it on the hook with water ... she filled the left of her pitcher water
and teapot of water now cold and fill it and hooked it over the fire ... it
wasn’t a heavy cauldron thankfully made in thin tin and she poured not too much
water in it so she could lift it ... then she filled Baobab litter with new
woodchipsdust over the rest she had prepare for him yesterday...finished her
tea and add some from the teapot on the shelf over the front of the fireplace
... the one from breakfast was still a little bit warm and added some more
cream and sugar ... made her bed nice ... cleaned the table again ... tighted
the curtains with nice ribbons from today ... when the water will be warm she
would wash ... but what to do with this
washbin and pot ? is it what the cauldron was for ? NoNo she
wanted to keep it to use it anyways ... not returned it ... she was puzzled
... looking around to see if she could find something or she would have to
write it for the maid ...
_______________
Chapter 4
Baobab on the table started
to play with the cross she had left there and the cling cling startled her ...
she went to it but he pushed it with his paw and as she saw him do it extended
her arm to catch it open palm up ... it felt right there ... it seemed time had
stopped for a second and everything was slow ... Baobad was there starring at
her catch but still ... she felt time
suspended ... all in the room was like in a vintage picture with the
surrounding blurry ... she looked around and there beside the bed over the bedside
table and it got her attention that the wall there was very bare with nothing
on the bedside table on that side ...walking to it passing the windows she
wanted to place it on the bedside table ... then she tought maybe on the wall
... she turned around and instead of leaving it on the table she kept it in her
hand firmly ... it was getting warm in her palm ... she wanted to get a ribbon
and place it on the wall ... to protect her ... looking at the ribbons and
yarns she found one she liked and took returning to the table ... as she was
pulling the ribbon through the loop she was looking the wall to see if there
wasn’t a hook or something to hang it on ...
Strangely there seemed to
have been something there before and took away because the paint was a little
cracked ... maybe a picture frame or a mirror from the previous tenant ... it
wasn’t peeled but the dent in the paint was visible ... and maybe the wall had
even been repaired and replastered thinking about it ... Hum she thought ... what
happened here ... a cross is certainly perfect there then ... extending her
arm to try to fit the ribbon on the wall cracked to a little dent she placed it
there and like a loop around the dent ... and pulling gently to secure it ... a
patch of the wall came out and fell ?!!!
to her horror she gasp as she didn’t even felt or pull hard on it and it was
certainly not heavy !!! Oh my... she
was was now frozen there ... a piece of the wall had just came out and fell ... what will her host think now ... that she
was breaking things or wall ... what in the name of ... she could only
stare at it puzzled ... reaching down to get the little cross that had felt
with it and examine closer the patch that had actually felt ... holding the
cross in one hand firmly and turning the patch with the other one from one side
to the other even more puzzling ?! stange repairs ... since how you were to just place a piece of plaster as one sheet on a
crack or even a whole to repair a wall and paint over it ?! without plastering
the edges ??? then she seen it ...
with the cross still in her arm ... there was a whole in the wall but defined
and not hollow behind it ... with a loop encrusted within the wall behind ... is it a loop to pull for service maybe ?!
like a bell ... she pulled on it a little
and it moved the wall behind her wall to move forward like the whole wall was
to collapse on her ... she moved back scared ... what had she done now ! Then she realised that nothing was moving
or faling down but the edge of the wall beside the bed were now uneaven but
stopped by the bedside table ... she looked the edge of the wall and it was
indeed 2 wall think ... it seemed a door of some sort but very narrow and the
front was made purposefully as the rest of the wall so you wouldn’t see it ...
she pulled the side table a little bit to look ... then she hesitate ... what
if it was a trap and she found someone or something scary on the other side ...
she took the fire stick on her other hand and also placed one of the chair on
ront of the bedside table to make more weight in case something was to push
from the other side ... then she opened it a tiny bit ... just enough to be
able to look very very carefully on the other side what it was ... and pulling the side wall edge it was
definitely a door on hinges but the door part made from the room wall was not
moving a lot toward inside the room ... and the other door behind it splitted
as it’s own door too ... they weren’t glued together ... they were separate
doors ... she then tried to push on the one behind her wall and indeed ... it
was opening toward the other direction not inside her room ... making a small
opening space between both doors she could squeeze to get to the other area and
see pushing on the door but staying almost half way behind her wall door in
case so she could close it back very quick ! ...
She looked and it was dark in
there ... but it seemed a room of some sort ... not outside or a cold room or unfinished
for some reason the air coming out even smelled fresh and nice ... lavender maybe
?! ... that soothed her her a little bit ... she listened and it was very silent
but it didn’t seemed empty ... she pulled herself out and pushed the wall door on
her side back closed and pushed the bedside table back in place securely with the
other chair in the front ... she needed the oil lamp and wasn’t to go get it leaving
this one open ... Reaching to the other side of the bed very quick and feeling excited
instead of terrified she went to get the oil lamp on her vanity and the matches
and pulling them on the bedside table she litted up the lamp ... Baobab what you think I found there ... should
I look ?!
Baobab was sitting on the bed
looking at her in approval ...
_________________
Chapter 5
Sophia took the cross on the
ribbon and pulled it over her head to wear it instead ... “there
... better there close to my heart ...”
she said surely ... she took her courage and a big breath and
decided to check again with the lamp this time ... she pulled the chair a little and the bedside table, just enough
to fit but not totally open of course so she could get out and close it very
quickly if needed ...
She opened the wall door a
little and pushed on the inside door slowly and not too much ... not to open it
totally at first before to look ... then she hesitated and moving backward she
grabbed the fire stick with her other hand and moved back to the door pulling
the lamp in front of her to light the area ... she pushed on the inside door
slowly with her hand with the stick in her hand and waited to see if she would
ear something, but nothing ... so she moved a little more into the space in
between the door and moved the lamp closer to the door half open and moved her
head toward the it to see through the gap open ...
There was light inside but
dimmed and she could see inside clearly ... Oh!
She gasped
She opened the door more
careful in case there was someone ... Hi
...? Anyone here ? not answer ...
relieved she walked in delighted but slowly and looked behind the door first
and from right to left ... How ! Beautiful !!! she exclaimed
The most beautiful lady’s
room with a Brass tub in the centre on four legs and a beautiful lace curtain
tight behind it with a silk ribbon on a circular brass rod above the tub; a
room divider screen there too but with lace panels on frames; a dresser with a
white ceramic sink and a beautiful pitcher in brass too besides it; and a
mirror above it on the wall; a toilet on a corner with a pulling braided cord
coming from a pole beside it to flush; a set of fancy items in a basket on the
dresser; and fluffy carpet for the floor; on a hook was a fancy and soft silk
bathrobe with soft fleece inside and candles were throughout in beautiful glass
plates with a vase the same but with flowers on the side of the door on a small
side table with drawers.
She felt so warm inside and
delighted of what she had found and Thank God to have decided to explore it.
She looked around and no other door; this
is the only door so all to herself !
She felt so blessed and spoiled at the same time to have this for
herself; she had found it by mistake but surely it was to be used if she was
respectful; she would ask later the permission and her host M Zachary must have
meant to tell her about it but with yesterday commotion and not been able to
talk together yet, he must have forgotten; She walked back to her room and took
few items in her trunk to change after leaving the oil lamp on the bedside
table and returned to place everything on the seat by the other side of the
door; she brought also the lamp in case the candles were to lit off and the
fire stick in case it was a trap as this home seemed to have invisible doors ! Then
she remembered her washbin and pot and brought them to empty them and indeed
pulling on the cord was sliding the bottom part of it open to flush ... how
ingenious again she thought; she tried the faucet liver above the tub and water
came out ... running water ?! ... she filled both and emptied them to flush all
out again in the toilet; and brought them back in the room cleaned; leaving
them on the floor for now; Baobab was looking into the room curious; You have to see what I have discovered and
it is all thanks to you ! She
brought him in her arms and showed him around Look at this ! She told him smiling; she returned him to the room
and putted him on the bed and looked in the fire direction I am sure it is safe to leave the fire alone for a little time ...maybe
I should move things away from close to it and so she moved the rocking
chair on the side and the items she had left on the floor by the fire.
She returned to the lady’s washroom and kept the doors open
with the chair, to make sure the door wouldn’t close on her; And she prepared a
nice warm bath with the coconut oil available on the side in a dish and few
drops of lavender essential oils ... hot water was coming of the faucets...this
is fantastic ! her hosts were very much wealthiest then she tought...or
ingenious ! she tought she would have to boil the water first over the fire ...
how amazing ... she thought as she rested
her head on the bath pillow closing her eyes with the dim light and the nice fresh
scent coming from the water ...
_____________
Chapter 6 written april 7th
2023
Sophia reopened her eyes
after what seemed a whole day. Finally her bones felt rejuvenated, her skin
soft like silk, her hair shinny and her eyes rested ... the warmth of the water
had lift her spirit.
She got dressed in the bath
robe with the towel around her long hair ... moved the chair in the doorway and
went to her trunk to get a new dress, all seemed fine and untouched, she smiled
and returned to the lady’s washroom to change; after dressing herself in new
fresh day clothes, she washed the tub and placed everything the way she had
found it, in case someone was to come and check; or if she wasn’t supposed to
use it ?! Since she had been very respectful it was probably ok but she would
ask to make sure so she could continue to enjoy it as she please and feel not
like intruding or that she was doing something wrong.
She looked and felt
wonderful that this would be hers to use as she pleased and left the light
dimed as she had found it.
Baobab looking at her from
the bed where he was lying down but not sleeping, seemed rested too. She came
to pet him and he started to purr resting his head on his front paws.
This felt safe here at
least.
*********
The fire was low but it was
warm in the room; the bed made she moved the ashes still red at the bottom with
the fire stick that she had brought back with her; looking at the pile she had
pulled from the wall this morning she still had 2 logs for the evening and the
night; maybe she will just leave this way and re-alighted it in few hours; she
checked the water over the fire and it was warm; now that she had discovered
the lady’s washroom she thought maybe she wouldn’t need “it is always good to have it though”
“Let’s
write a note to ask if it is ok to use this lovely lady’s washroom”
She sat at the table with
the pen and paper and looking out the window to the tree was going to write ...
a cling into the wall door ... probably a new tray ... happily she walked to it
and was going to open it right away but stopped herself on her track...what if
it wasn’t the maid and if it was the man form yesterday ...then she remembered
she had to ask about this too ... she waited there in silence listening if she
could ear the maid on the other side but it was all so silent; maybe she had
imagined it; she waited and listened a little more in details to make sure but
there wasn’t any sound and it didn’t felt like someone was there either on the
other side; she opened the little door and found a tray again with a silver tea
pot and a china cup and a silver dome over a meal most delicious for sure; a
note was slided under the plate and was coming out from the side; pulling the
tray she noticed the encasement in the wall was full again with a new bag and
what probably was new logs; a bag was left on a second tray slided on the rod ;
she brought the meal to the table and it seemed it was full of items already
after 1 day; it started to feel like it was her place; she picked up the bag
but left the tray this time and brought it to the window cill; looking outside
it was still desert... a little too desert...sunny but no one around the
propriety; she felt sad ... yesterday
what if something had happened to one of the family ?
She opened the bag curious
and found a brass object with a lens on one side and a narrower at the other
end ... a magnifier ?! she wondered
to herself ... lots of grooves on the main part like a series of tubes into one
another...maybe it was extendable...indeed it was and became a mini telescope !
Wow ! She looked at it on all side and it
fitted in her hand when closed and was still very small like the size of a
candle...she tried to use it and indeed she could see everything very clearly
at the edge of the propriety, the fence, the bushes, the buildings, stable and
garden shed, the fountain in the garden; amazing truly she loved it; she closed
it and it could fit in the palm of her hand or in her pocket; placed it
delicately on the table; she took the note her host M Zachary had left her on
her meal tray “Dear Miss Sophia, we hope you are getting comfortable in your
new quarters and that you find all you need; the lady’s room from your room is
your to use and totally private; please accept this small present of a mini
telescope for your enjoyment of the propriety from the comfort of your room.
Some plans have been delay today after the small interaction of yesterday with
M Black and his friends, you should be warn of his acquaintance and we
apologize for any disruption it might have created last night. Please remain
indoor and in your quarters until further notice from us...your Host M Zachary.
“
Hum
... she
was so pleased about everything but still would feel a sense of something not
right and sad happening...at least the staff and M Zachary were ok since he
wrote and all trays were the same.
She went to look outside the
window with the mini telescope again and still it was silent.
Baobab came meowing for some food and milk. Which she gaved him before to eat. She opened the tray and a delicious lunch of pasta with small fresh greens, a desert of dry fruits with some home made yogurt and tea of course; some milk and sugar in a fancy ceramics dish. She ate all her tray today. The little biscuit she left for later with the rest of milk for her tea and placed the tea pot on the fire shelf just as before; maybe she should return the ones from yesterday and this morning and did so poured the warm tea from the 2 tea pots into one only to keep for later as she didn’t had any extra for the night or the afternoon or evening. And placed the milk from this morning into a cup she washed and the one from yesterday in another one, the sugar all into the sugar dish she had from lunch and the scarp form the food plate into Baobabs dish that was now overfull; the cookies all together in one of the cup saucer. Now she placed all the items in a tray and into the wall compartment door; then she tought...it would be nicer to send them rinse and washed ... so she took it back and decided to wash them in the sink in the lady’s washroom; the water wasn’t hot from the tub and so she used the water over the fire and some soap ... then she returned it to the tray compartment. Satisfied with her work she went to check the tub and the water temperature hum ... she will just have to boil water if it wasn’t always hot...maybe only at certain time of the day was it hot ? the tubes coming from the tub faucet were paint the same color as the wall color and were following over the baseboard to the bedroom under the window where they were brass tubes ... Ah ... that is what those tubes are here ... curious she followed the route of the tubes that were going up the side of the fireplace to a sort of brass base dish with a drawer with a tiny handle to pull it from under the mantel on the side ?! What is ... she questioned herself as she examined the whole thing and looking backward at it again ... the tubes are attached to the tub faucet and then follow the wall baseboard and then through this wall along this room to the fireplace to the bottom of this type of sort of receptacle with a drawer that goes into under the fireplace mantel ?!! No she had seen the ingeniosity so far of this place and her host, she couldn’t hope to be able to have hot water ! smiling now as she had eard some fancy houses had it for the Lords ... she pulled the drawer from the casement with the tubes coming from under it and it was wide but not heavy in a tin material like the cauldron and it slided wide and deep out form under the mantel and it was long ... puzzled she stopped and went to check this into the firplace heart and seen indeed that the top of the place over the fire that seemed to be just the chimney was indeed this drawer ?! No ! she now was laughing by herself...Baobab look what I found...me this time ! He was now sitting beside her examining what was going on with his tail waving back and forth ... the bottom part of the drawer that was over the fire was blackened by the smoke of the fire so she tried to be careful with it not to get it on her hands and indeed her fingers had the some smoke dust on them ... she pulled the rawer more and it was the whole size of the fire heart...she closed it back and left a small area open ... she took the pitcher on her vanity and poured the water in it and checked quickly in case it leaked on the fire ... but no it didn’t ... she pulled the drawer again and the water was all at the bottom now ... a lot of water could fit here ... enough to fill a tub !!!
______________
Chapter 7 New written April
15th 2023
Delighted about this
invention and the luxury they were offering in offering her a room with access
to a private lady’s washroom and with
running hot water !
The room was cleared, and
even if lonely she now felt pampered.
What were these wood pieces
she had received earlier and these screws and clips ? she looked at them again
taking them from the fireplace mantel were she had placed them and looked in the
bag but no note or instructions; only a bunch of screws and clips ?!
She wasn’t feeling like
investigating this and decided to realighted the fire with the second log as
the day was getting low; she would have to chop some small wood herself as
there wasn’t any paper to use so she sat on the rug on the floor and started to
do so from the log with the small pocket knife they had sent her. It was
difficult and only small wood chips would come out of the bark; hum she decided to be faster would be to
use the wood dust they had sent and maybe it was for this also !? She poured a
handful in the middle of the fire on top of the ashes and the rest of the 1st
log and lighted it with the matches smilling
Ah! This is much easier she tought ! The flames were going for 2 minutes
and vanished just as fast and nothing else was happening. Ah ! I talked too fast i guess... easy way is never for us Baobab ! Then
she stopped herself guiltily feeling ungrateful and said “Forgive me Lord” ... and touched the cross she had kept around her
neck with the ribbon ... she started to chop more wood from the log and this
time determine to have a little pile and to get this fire working; thankfully
she had started early , what if it was cold already and night. She took the
little woodchips she had just made and placed them around the log and a little
under and lighted them with another match and blowing on them it got a huge
flame ... this seemed to be more hopeful to get the log into a nice fire then
before and so she stayed there until the log was set too, blowing a little on
the small fire few times. Indeed it took some time but then the log started to
burn too. “Bravado” she exclaimed and she patted Baobab who was
of course examining her pet mother and what she was doing. She was to go get
something to do but she decided she should make more of those woodchips in case
she needed them for the other log or during the night if the fire was to go
down. So she continued until she had an nice little pile again from the 3rd
log and placed it on the side of the fire beside the 3rd log, ready
for later. This had actually took probably an hour as the sun was setting low
now outside. She felt calm though, this effort had still made her calm.
A tea would be what she need
now but since the fire had been out the tea pot on the shelves were certainly
not hot; she should have got more prepared and organized; these inventions were
great but they had to be prepared and maintained in advance she realised. What first?! The fire was going on it’s
own, the light was getting low so she had to get the curtains close and open
the oil lamps; she did; Then she decided to pour water in the cauldron still on
the fire hooks and was going to do so but with what...Oh No ! she was supposed to keep an empty teapot. Then she grabbed
a dish cloth and was to unhook the cauldron to fill it but it was already too
hot; the pitcher then would do in 100 trips ! Which she did from the lady’s
washroom and filled the caudron to half still over the fire and check if she
had secured it solid enough first, she knew sailing knots and so it was for
sure solid enough. She was a little tired after about 10 trips to fill this
cauldron with this pitcher and though that she should fill the drawer too in
case she needed hot water she could use it right from the faucet and should
remember to always refill it for anytime she would need it ! So she did and
this took about 1 hour certainly and probably 80 trips to do so ... but finally
it was full and as she filled it she kept closing it a little bit more and when
it was totally full she closed it all. She sat on her rocking chair and she was
truly starving and exhausted after all this. Her hairs were a little
dishevelled out of her ribbon and her sleeved rolled up and she was sweating.
She could do one more trip to fill the pitcher and did so from the tub again
with the water cold that was coming out. Cold water now seemed perfect and she washed
herself from the washbin quickly and refreshed her hairs. She also decided to
change in a new dress after sitting on the floor and all this. She did and left
her dress on the screen divider then realised; Ah ! if I want it tomorrow I
better wash it today so it has the time to dry ... and so she did with some
warm water from the cauldron she took with one cup to the second pitcher from
her vanity and decided it would be so easier to wash it in the tub instead of
the washbin ... so she did too and washed it with soap kneeling by the tub with
warm water and rinsed it with cold one it felt fresh and washed better this way
and was thankfull again of this lady’s washroom to be able to wash properly all
her clothes and keep neat even with only a trunk of clothes. Like this she
should have enough by washing everyday and drying at night and be fresh
everyday with only few changes and not have to ask anything more for now.
She hanged the freshly
washed by hand dress by the hook on the fireplace side, opposite from the
drawer. The tea pots were also warmer now on the little shelf, this was great
to keep warm but not to heat something though so she poured some in half a cup
from the tea and added some hot water from the cauldron with the other empty
cup and now she had hot tea ! The she was to drink but it looked a little stale
... she decided that since this was possible she discarded the tea in the
toilet; she took the tea bag from the teapot and placed it it the cup and
washed the teapot and made a brand new tea with the tea bag she reused placing
it back in the tea pot and pouring some hot water in it in few cups ; sfter few
minutes she poured it and it looked like fresh tea ! Perfect ! she exclaimed proud
of herself. She added some sugar and some milk that was warm but still smelled
fine. A sour aftertaste, but it was otherwise delicious. Hum ! I have to leave this milk in cold water tomorrow or tonight so
it stays fresh she tought I will use one of the washbin, the one in the
room from the vanity, since i only need
one and will use the one to wash hand and all in the washroom; then she wasn’t
sure she wanted to go there at night so she might use the reverse instead and
bring them to her room and lock the door very well for the night; thinking
about it she decided to do so right away and brought the pitcher and washbin
from the washroom in her room and secured the door from her room with the
bedside table in front of it. Now she felt better some how and safer ! even if
less practical.
Her room was lighted with
the fire and the oil lamp and her dress was drying on the side of the fireplace
hook; the washroom access door was closed and secured safely with the bedside
table; the water on the cauldron was hot enough to use as she needed; all
washbin, pitcher and pot were cleaned; she would be ok until tomorrow morning
without having to go in the washroom; the pile of woodchip was ready by the 3rd
log; Baobab still had food in his dish; she still had cookies and another tea
bag in the second teapot with sugar; only the milk wasn’t very fresh; cold water ! she had forgotten to bring
some; she reopened the door to the washroom pulling the bedside table from in
front of it and filled one of the pitcher with cold water from the tub, then
she filled the washbin with it and placed the milk inside she had poured in the
empty teapot. Then she tought she had better to fill both pitchers with cold
water and keep only one washbin to wash only and did so. Perfect! She tried to calculate if she had everything, before to
close everything again this time, not to have to reopen everything again later
and closed back the doors and paced securely the bedside table in front of it
again, and she felt safe again. She wanted to placed the cross on the night
table but decided it was better to keep it on her.
She walked on the room
examining everything like it was her place now ! What she had brought: a trunk
of clothes and items, Baobad and some food and a box; what she had made: a
fire, woodchips, fresh tea, tea time with cookies, hot water over the fire,
laundry, ... What she had discovered: running hot water, a secret compartment
for items delivered in the wall; a shelf to warm or cook things instead of the
cauldron inside the fire from the back, and a mini shelf in the front under the
mantel to keep warm her tea pots, a drawer big enough to warm water for a whole
tub at once and not have to carry it, a private full washroom, a whole bunch of
wools and ribbons that were fitting a whole cauldron, a rocking chair; and what
had been offered to her so far: food trays and tea’s 3 times per day, a cross,
a mini telescope, a pen and papers, food for Baobab and wooddust, seeds, cisors
and a pocket knife; and there was this assortment of screws and clips and
sanded wood sticks that she still hadn’t found what were supposed to be used
for...She felt pretty comfortable and content...and still the note had reassured
her that her hosts were fine since they had wrote to her.
___________
Chapter 8 written April 16th 2023
She sat at her rocking chair just relaxing looking at the fire she had made herself. She could examine the wool or the assortment of sanded wood sticks and screws and clips to find out what they were, she already had things to do; and so she just relaxed for now resting after her chores and knowing she had things to get busy later as she wanted until they would bring her work; plans are delays, M Zachary had written, it was ok, now she could start with small things getting organized
********
She eard a small sound
coming from the tray delivery door; she woke up as she had just closed her eyes
and had fallen asleep; Baobab was there looking at it, now that he knew his
milk and food from the left over were on it. Looking around everything seemed
fine and the fire low but still burning; she went to the little door and
waiting as before, before opening it, she didn’t eard anything and it didn’t
seemed again no one was there; What is this Baobab, she said to him petting his
head; she opened the little door and found a tray on the top of the sliding
rods, with a silver dome and teapot, a china cup and milk and sugar; a small
bowl covered as well with a dessert she assumed; “Hummmm ! What’s this now Baobab ? “
It felt still warm so they probably had just brought it. She placed
it on the table and went back hoping to find something else; the bottom shelf
was empty, she lift it taking the oil lamp to see better if there would be more
logs this time too but nothing it seemed.
She just closed the door
back; She would have to get busy with something to do here and just eat; didn’t
seemed there was work yet.
So she sat and ate first as
she was pretty hungry and shared some with her friend Baobab; the dessert was
fruits with some sauce she wanted to keep for later; she made her tea and
placed the milk left in the washbin with cold water she had planned and the tea
pot on the shelf under the mantel; pouring again the sugar all together and
giving the milk from the day to baobab. She rinsed the dishes with the hot
water in the other washbin and discarded it in the pot for soiled water and
all, and placed it back in the tray compartment with the returned extra items.
This idea was working pretty well. She felt comfortable and she really wasn’t
missing anything, but it was so lonely. She was here for only 1 day or so and
hadn’t seen anyone since she arrived; even if she knew it would be this way and
had prepared herself before when she accepted the “invitation” or offer to
lodge her in exchange of work, she didn’t think she would feel so lonely ...
She sat at the rocking chair
and took the wool bunch and decided to have a look at it, maybe she could get
busy crocheting something; it was tangled and so she started to untangled it;
yarn and wool and ribbons all tangled ... stranged she thought ?! she didn’t
noticed when she had received it that it was tangled...maybe Baobab had did
this when he had played in the cauldron and found the cross; she looked at him
and he was staring at her like reading her mind not appreciating to be the
blame ! she smiled a little, he was very sensitive ... ok Baobab, then who did
this if it wasn’t you ? She mumbled by herself... His eyes pupils opened up all
of a sudden to almost all the eye and he stiffen ... she looked at him and all
of a sudden his ears went backward flat on his head ... she turned around in
panic ... but no one was there ... she reached for her cross with her hand
standing up. “Baobab, do not move ...” she said softly ... He stayed still as
he used to in this occasions ... she stood straight and breathed deeply ... she
was still holding the wool bunch and was trying to assess sounds, nothing ...
she looked at the table with her items for later and her eyes caught the pen
and paper she had started a note earlier but haven’t needed ... the light
seemed to dimed and the pen rolled ... She stood still with excitement ...
Baobab stiffen even more and lowered on his four, flattening himself, ready to
jump or run, but stayed still as well bravely as she had taught him ... she
waited silently and looked the pen but it didn’t move more ... she dropped the
wool on the rocking chair without turning her back or moving her eyes away from
the table ... she walked slowly to the table ... time again was slow and
suspended it seemed and she could ear the swishing of a skirt while walking but
hers was cotton and not muslin ... she reached the table and looking to make
sure the pen wasn’t moving at all, she could feel the presence around her; she
took the pen and wrote “Hi, I am Miss
Sophia and this is my cat Baobab “ ... she waited but nothing, it seemed
the air had stilled somehow like expectation... she wrote more “ We are the new tenants and Mr Zachary is
our Host “ then she placed the pen back and waited but nothing happened and
it didn’t moved again.
She went to the window and
looked outside pulling the curtain delicately; the Lights were on and it seemed
to be a beautiful night but no one was there again.
She turned and looked at the
table but the haze was gone and the air was back normal as before ... the
presence was gone ...
She looked at Baobab with a
knowingly look and he too back at her still at the same place and position but
less stiff now ... she bent down to pat him and took him on her lap to the
chair “You are a brave Buddy Baobab ...”
and she patted him silently ...
________________________
She sat at the rocking chair
the whole evening, sipping her tea, patting Baobab, untangling the yarn and
wool, turning the log in the fire, refreshing her tea, untangling the yarn and
wool, patted baobab, turned the log in the fire, untangled more wool and yarn,
sipped more of her tea, patted baobab a little again, turned the log in the fire...
“This
is nice but I got to find something to do or I will get bezerk here !” she
sighted after few hours of this ... After her encounter she wasn’t tired either
and didn’t felt like going to bed, and even less opening this creepy door to
the most beautiful washroom, but not less making her feel creepy to get there. She
sighted again ... she started to walk around the room just make the “air” hers
back; it felt the spot on the chair was the only one hers now ... she sighted
again to herself but more like resigned this time ... she was feeling edgy ...
something was disturbing her ... she walked around touching all her items
trailing her fingers on them, one after the other, the vanity, the bed, the
bedside table, the curtains, the table, the tubes along the wall, the back rest
of the rocking chair, now she was re-appropriating her quarters ... and
everything was feeling better after.
Then she seen the trunk on
the floor and realised it was about time to empty it; so she got busy doing so
and for now she placed all her clothes hanging over the screen divider; her
toilettery she would bring tomorrow to the washroom and so left them on the
vanity; Baobab already had his items ready; then she brought to the window cill
some items she had brought extra of a couple of books, few little boxes with
her jewellery, family heirlooms and personal items for identity, money etc etc
she had very little with her, only the necessity.
After she was done it seemed
took only 15 minutes ... what was she going to do now ... she did brought a
pair of needles for knitting and a sewing kit ... but she wasn’t really in the
mood to knit or hemm anything ; she took the mini telescope and looked outside
and it did was nice and cheered her up to see at night to the end of the
propriety ... still there wasn’t anyone. she placed the telescope on the table
annoyed that she hadn’t planned anything to bring that would be of more
entertainment “why I didn’t brought cards
or a mind game book ?! or a puzzle ! “
Looking at the window cill
she remembered the little bags of seeds and decided she was going to make some
gardening then ... this felt like lifting her spirit and she took one extra tea
cup and putting some of the topsoil they had sent she placed a bunch of seeds
into it and some water over and placed it in the centre of the table “Ah!, perfect” she felt some of relieved from the tension and
knew then that this was a good sign. She was looking what she could use for
another one but she only had the one she was using and didn’t want to damage a
teapot or the wooden box by using it, she should ask tomorrow. She checked the
drawer within the fire, opening it a little bit and the water had got warm
already, by tomorrow morning with the night fire it would probably be warm
enough for a comfortable bath; this made her feel relaxed.
She prepared another tea
with the teabag and hot water from the cauldron and the milk she had placed
into the washbin and some sugar.
The oil lamp was bright
enough for the whole room to be bright.
She sat at her chair again
and just rocked herself sipping her tea until she would be feeling tired,
looking at the fire; she still had the 3rd log and the pile of wood
chips she had made for the night later.
She was still edgy but was
trying to ignore the feeling, she had to talk to M Zachary soon hopefully; if
he or she had approached her already, then it knew she was there and would
start from now; she had to fight this edgyness until she could talk to him; she
knew the presence was creating it, trying to reach her, but she didn’t want to
start communicating yet.
Baobab was still resting by
her feet.
All of a sudden she jumped
out of her chair and went to the table and sat taking the pen and paper to
write a note for M. Zachary ...she tought ... She stopped herself on her track
to regroup herself and assess if it was her that wanted to write or if she was
impulsed to do so and to make sure she was to write what she wanted for now;
then she decided she had nothing to write and nothing was coming to her mind;
she had been impulse Hum ... this was
a very strong one ... she had better to stay grouped and grounded ... she wrote
now the words coming to her “Dear M
Zachary, thank you so much for the ___ thank you for the flour attentions
___to your maid ___food was ___items you sent ___much bread___appreciated_____then
she read it and sternly scratch out the whole thing ! she then placed the pen
back to the table and decided she would write tomorrow as there was no need to
leave a note now anyways.
Then she changed her mind and wrote attentively to her every words this
time “ Dear M. Zachary, thank you for all the attentions and delicious food you
sent and to your maid, I am very comfortable here and well organized already; especifially
thank you for the mini telescope and the cauldrons. I need to talk to you at your
earliest convenience ... I am hoping your family is all fine after the commotion
of the other night and the gun shot i eard ... i understand the plans to be delays
... but they already have started here ... Miss Sophia”
______________
Chapter 10 written April 19th
2023
She woke up drenched again;
she was in her bed and changed in her night gown but didn’t recall anything
after writing the note yesterday; looking around the room everything was fine; “the fire?!” she tought worried but it was just ashes
burned and red piece of the yesterday log at the bottom, it seemed from her
bed; room was comfortable but cool; maybe she had forgotten to add the 3rd
log.
Baobab was sleeping on the
rocking chair.
She got out of bed and
walked to the fireplace and looked to see if she had used the 3rd
log or not and ... no it was still there ... relieved as it would have been
worst if she had and didn’t recalled it either; so she had just decided to go
to sleep then ...
She patted Baobab on his
head.
She placed the 3rd
log on the fire and hoped it would started to flame on it’s own from the red
ashes under it. She checked the water drawer from within the fireplace and the
water was warm; she took some with the pitcher and decided to wash quickly as
she didn’t feel for a bath; She washed quickly and changed in her dress she had
washed yesterday.
Her note was still on the
table, maybe she was still early enough to give it when they would bring the
breakfast tray. She placed it on the little shelf and the compartment was
indeed empty so it must had been pretty early still, but the tray from last
night dishes was gone ... ?! Maybe they were picking it up seperatly.
She walked to the window and
looked outside and it looked early indeed; she pulled the curtains and secured
them open with the ribbons; outside was cloudy. She looked at her seeds she had
planted and waved her hand over the cup, palm down smilling, slowly.
She still had some milk and
would try to make tea with the tea bag from yesterday and water warm enough
from the cauldron; it was ok, with some cookies she had kept; Baobab still had
some food left but better to add some fresh one; She placed the food he didn’t
want in asheet of paper for now since she had nothing else; few things she had
to ask to, bags for disposals, maybe a dish for the seeds, a cup to measure and
take from the cauldron; a heavy dish cloth for the hot water or so; for now
that would be ok, she didn’t want to started a long list; other things she had
to discuss more urgent.
She was writing the items to
remember when Baobab came to the window cill to look outside; He was interested
about the tree and probably the birds he could see in it from the window. She
looked patting him but she was distracted and didn’t really seen anything.
She ear her name from the
corridor and assumed it was the maid bringing the breakfast tray and maybe she
wanted to ask about the letter.
“I will be there in a sec.”
She replied to the female voice
She opened the little door
and seen a lady there on the other side, a lovely mature women with white hairs
in a bun and strings of brown hairs coming in curls around her face; she was
plain without makeup but nice earings she noticed, delicate; she smiled “ Miss Sophia ?” she asked “yes I am Miss Sophia” she replied
smiling at her “Did you seen the letter I
left for m. Zachary ? I wish to thank you especially for all the delicious food
and the attentions you give me ...” The lady interrupted her in her “ I am Ruby ...” she said softly “ I
will be your partner for this assignment you were called for ...” she paused
and tended a folder to her through the compartment “ This will give you the
first details you might need to get familiar with the case; M. Zachary will
meet with you after you have revised this to have your imput about it; He is
very busy at this moment with all what is happening” she seemed saddened “ we
will need you expertise as soon as possible” Sophia took the folder pretty
thick “thank you Ruby , I am sorry about the confusion that I took you for ...”
the women interrupted her again ”It is not problem, I will let the Maid know of
your compliment and will let M Zachary know for her appraisal of her work and
services” she showed the letter Sophia had written to show she had it “ I will
also give your letter to him” She moved on the side a little to get something
and presented a wood mohaghony box the size of a book and thick and a little
heavy and slided it on the bottom shelf toward her to take it “ M Zachary also
wanted you to have this “ so she took it
and it was shiny and polished and not as heavy as she thought “ Thank
you...thank you very much “ she said with urgency “ I will revise the document immediately to be prepared when M Zachary
will be available to meet with me “
“That
would be very great, we thank you again for accepting this assignment” she
smiled
“
You can if you wish to address me a note to my quarters coordinates at my name
Miss Ruby and the maid will bring it to me “
“That
is perfect” Sophia said
She waived with a delicate
hand “ Talk soon ... I am delighted to be working with you “ and closing her
side door slowly Sophia said waiving too
“ Bye ... I am happy too “ and the little door closed and she closed hers
She brought the coffret and
the folder to the table; work was here. She forgot about breakfast and felt the
excitement about starting and reading the information. She opened the forlder
at the table and a bunch of papers were in it; some forms signed like letters,
some newspapers clips, some documents or pages from a book or a copy ... hum she was looking very quickly...some
photos of places and peoples ... hum then
she was curious about the wood box; she took it to examined it first from the
outside and it was polished and lackered, there was on it a crest in silver but
she couldn’t recognise it, it seemed like a sign of some sort...hum what could this be she slided her
fingers delicately on the cover and it was very beautiful, felt like touching
silk; she opened it and found inside a chess glass board with the pieces all in
glass clear and frosted ... she frown lightly surprised ... this she wasn’t
expecting ... tooking herself guiltily she reassessed herself and looked at it
with a more appreciative eye ... it is beautiful though ... but with who will i
play ? ... again she felt guilty and reassessed herself ... it is very
beautiful ... i should place it on the table and if M Zachary comes to talk
maybe we can play a game together or he can see i appreciated it ... and it
decorate the table nice too ... she placed it in the middle of the table with
all the pieces and it did look very nice; she moved away and it did feel less
lonely in a way to have it there ?!
she laught softly, this M.
Zachary knew how to make his guest feel comfortable, how did he guessed this would make me feel better...I would never had
thought to ask for this ...
Baobab climbed on the table
of course and smelled the box inside out and all the piece one by one ...
She sat at the table and started to look at the
folder papers when there was a sound from the little wall door again and
assuming it was breakfast she went to get it; Indeed it was, a beautiful tray
was there on the top rods and on the bottom shelf was a bag in a metal container
with items in it; she took the tray and again no one was there and brought it to
the table and came back for the container, it was light, inside was a roller for
pies, a bag of flour, and other small bags of salt, baking powder and a jar with
some coconut oil the label said; a box of loose tea; more sugar; few new candles;
a bunch of bags for disposals rolled together and tighted with a yarn, a big spoon
for soups, a metal cup with measures and a series of metal measuring spoons; everything
was there she had written on her list that was still on the table, except the thick
rag for not get burn by the fire or water... maybe i can make one with the yarn
i could braided ... her tray seemed over full too with a jug of milk on it instead
of the usual little creamer dish ...
She felt again secured by all
this ... now she even had cooking items, extra teas and milk for the night, a metal
container for her gardening, a chess game not to feel lonely, a tray full of food,
a new friend or work partner ... and ... work to do ... !
____________
Chapter 11 written April 21 2023
She decided to eat as she
was looking at the folder papers getting familiar with the events and the story
around it and saving time; She grabbed her bowl oatmeal and added some cream and brown sugar and made her tea after placing the jug of milk in the
washbin with the water still cool as room temperature. She was anxious for more
details of the situation; she only had had very basic details before she had
left but was told of the emergency situation; indeed the travel had been
exhausting as if they were travelling trough mud and it took the double of
regular time for this trip the coach women told her; thinking it was indeed
unsusual for a women to do this job, but polite she didn’t pry for more
details, and only got a side look with a remark “regular coach men is ... undisposed ...” and so she was to get on
board without more details, as it would have been fine if her tone had not
insisted on the “undisposed” with a
look that meant something else ... she started to look at the papers from the
folder and looked at the articles clipped from a newspaper and then to some
photographs of the symptoms and dropped her spoon back in her bowl and pushed
it on the side ...Oh My ... she said
to herself ... she sighed and looked to the window where Baobab was observing
the birds or something he could spot in the tree; she took a deep breath and
continued her going through the file; forms with a seal ... she was looking at
it page by page but it wasn’t a form, she looked at the title of it and the seal and it was a court case details “oh!” this came from the minutes taken during
this case and earing ... mentioning suspects names, so more then one, and a
series of disclosures of happenings listed from the plaingnant or filling person
bringing the case forth and names of witnesses with some disclosures; name of a
lawyer, and the logo and name of the police of this town ... so the case had been brought forward by the
local police !? she took note of ; then some more papers of list from the
hospital this time of patients without pictures but with details of symptoms
and patients informations, with age and occupations and dates of started of
symptoms and present situation; she looked more closely to the bottom of each patient
cases for recovery and current situation and found that each were still in the
hospital but now in different department in care; all were different ages and
genders, and few had the same occupations only; some were related but not all
as it stated these one were married or these one had children but these were
ill alone stated in the report others family members with names were not ill;
others were all ill; it seemed that they were mostly too ill to be home and
most were in stable condition from a strange illness and hospitalized in bed
rest; the others had been admitted and cared for the same but were now in
different department, cardio or kidney or intensive care with few of them in
the mental ailse, one had been sent there after his condition went this
direction, the others were admitted there directly by the police and quite few;
they were found to be totally unstable with all sort of symptoms that had
deteriorate from being a regular citizen months
ago before this all starts ... 10 were in critical care there for having
became dangerous and not showing signs of improvements...another few were in
critical care too but had been not ill but attacked by few of the ill ones
...only one had been returned home and sent back after few days by the police;
then more file this time of the ones arrested with very fewer then expected
since the rest of what she had read, only 2 were in arrested just few days ago
and didn’t seemed to have symptoms yet other then being dangerous but without
any history with making any troubles before ... it stated there were more
before but they had been sent to the hospital and were probably the same as the
one she had read had been admitted brought by the police; there was a letter
from the Church also that stated few cases they had sent to the police about
model parishers that were all of a sudden affected by some sort of possession
and demons happening, exorcist rituals had been performed in few occasions by
the priest and the patient seemed to improved to then had been found intern to
the hospital... probably some in bedrest
or in the mental ailse ?! The priest
listed the urgency and insisted on the important nature of this situation as
they were parishers and practicing and not the type to had been prone to any
other life style or vice that could lead to this type of possessions. So far it
seemed the priest was visiting peoples at the hospital but not at their home
suggested by the police for safety and no explanation was available yet.
That was it for the folder
and the information; she could read all the details and symptoms and names and
testimonies, but there wasn’t really anything clear about what could be the
cause of these sudden strange happenings to a population without any
circumstances of illness or possessions or with the police before ... and all
with different symptoms and outcomes ... it would seemed they were unrelated
cases but surely it was the same cause as it started at the same time and
affected peoples unsuspected of any of this before ... She was wondering ... Baobab I am happy this lady Ruby will work
with me on this because this is very puzzling indeed ! two heads in certainly
better in this case then one !
A piece of the chess game in
the centre of the table moved ...
Ah
! She
froze ... Then resettling herself “three then “ ... she said with forcing a
smile to be as less threatening as possible ... and moved one opposite piece on
the board at her turn ... and waited ... but nothing else happened ...
She took a deep breath and
took her tea to the window to look outside with Baobab as she wasn’t hungry
anymore now ...
Outside still it was a
beautiful day but desert ... not one person ...
This folder was pretty thick
and counting all how many citizen of this small town were in different places ill
or affected ... how many more were still ok ?! She had to find how to stop this
mysterious illness before more got afflicted one way or the other ... was it the
chaos that happened here the other night ... dangerous ?! probably the one who were
now in arrest ... or were they not counted yet with the ill ... ?!
She was relieved the priest was
involved and they way the situation was taken care of with most peoples in the hospital
with all care to recover and not make the situation worst if dangerous suddenly.
Where should they started ...
_________
Chapter 12 written April 23rd
2023
The sound that the lunch
tray was there startled her; how long was she at the window and how long did
she read this folder ...
She
went to pick it up and found 2 trays instead on each shelf; AH! She wondered if someone was coming
for a meeting and have lunch with her but by looking at the tray one had been
for lunch and the other was dinner ... indeed she had been so absorbed that she
didn’t ear them bring the lunch tray...
Then the soup will be
appetizer with the bun and she can have the dish later...
She sat to have her
minestrone soup with the fresh puffy bun and some fresh churned butter from the
tiny ceramic dish ... she was indeed hungry ... after making her tea looking
outside for the sun was getting low, so she was to started the fire... the log
she had used this morning was now about half burned; she had to chop some more
wood chip later and hopeful they had brought more logs; she went to the little
door and waiting before to open it, she thought there wasn’t anyone on the
other side so she opened it and checked under the bottom shelf and indeed there
were logs there thankfully, so she will be fine for the night. She took them
out of the compartment and placed them on the floor and replacing the shelf as
there wasn’t anything else in it and closed the door locked.
She brought the log to the
front of the fireplace and would do the wood chip later but maybe she could
place one on the half log and if it worked she wouldn’t even need the wood chip
and so she did.
She felt disturbed and there
wasn’t any note or any news either; maybe tomorrow. She would be better be very
familiar with all the detail and have some plan or options to offer for
solution or ideas. She wasn’t up to a bath again as it was getting dark and so
she only took new water from the drawer for her pitcher and to wash in her
room, she will have to wash a dress tomorrow but she had few on the screen room
divider now so there wasn’t any urgency for the night...this was all better
during the day. She kept the dinner tray and washed up quickly to refresh
herself for the night; turned the logs a little and it did seemed the new one
would set into fire like this; gave some fresh food to Baobab and added more
wooddust to his box; she lighted the oil lamp and closed the curtain first so
not to attracked attention from outside. She felt edgy still, but bit ill, just
this feeling after there have been a presence. She still had this wool to
untangled she thought, or she could read more but she wasn’t really in the mood
now; she was worried and sad too; mostly she felt helpless ... what can she
really do since everyone had the proper hospital care and the Priest help and
visits, and the police involve...there wasn’t really a clear cause to repair or
a lead either and it seemed she would just be useless in this affair and that
they asked her to come for nothing ... then she stopped herself and regrouping
... no ! ... this is normal happening in this type of happenings that is playing
with my head ... I was certain of myself
when i arrived and i do was contacted for my expertise ! I will surely be able
to help as always ! she assert
herself outloud and firmly ! she now wondered if the presence was an hostile
one, maybe that is how it took the minds of the others ?! or it could just be
the tragic events and papers she had read that made her feel this way and
discouraged ... Still she had better pay attention carefully to herself and not
think what happened to the others would not try with her ! ... I will work with Ruby and together we will get to the cause of this
and this will be our part and help ! Now she was thinking again that at least the care
and security was all taken care of and the layout of the court case was all done
too and so their work should be this most easier to do without having to worry about
it all and only to focus on their part to help . She knew she was still edgy and
her mind was spiralling a little but this was normal in the circumstance and she
only had to keep herself grounded. She touched her cross on her neck and decided
to read some of the Bible for a little bit, sitting at the rocking chair with her
tea and Baobab at her feet with the fire nice and warm ... she had brought hers
of course in her trunk ... one of the two books she had brought...she started to
read and it made her feel secured and relaxed and protected.
After some time she decided to eat her dinner and sat at the table and before to take her fork to eat she decided to do the grace before her meal ... and she felt better and in appetite she ate ...
_______________
Chapter
13, written April 24th 2023
As
her ususal after her meal she gave some to Baobab that was now waiting
patiently at his bowl, now used to this routine ... She had still lots of left
over and without a frig what was she going to do with all of it...Baobab bowl
was full...
She
placed one of the new log on the fire as she did before and it did worked so
hopefully this one too. Then she remembered the shelf inside that fitted on the
racked into the fireplace heart ...the cauldron was not totally full or too hot
so she had a idea ... she took it out of the hook with a bunch of cloths and
blanket for the chair she had and with the big scoop she poured the water in
the tin box she had got today “I can take
care of gardening another day...for now this will be perfact if i need the hot
water...” she then took all her courage and decided to go get fresh water
to the tub ... “enough with this...I have this washroom and not use the facility
of it ...?!” she was feeling more determined after her meal and opened the 2
doors looking first with the oil lamp and everything was exactly the way she
had left it ... she slided the bed side table and brought the pitcher and the
lamp and inside was light but she couldn’t see were it was ... not a candle or
an oil lamp ... ?! she could enquire about this later...she filled the pitcher
and had blocked the door with the chair the same way and came back with a fresh
pitcher,,,then she tought it was better to rinse the cauldron as it had been
there for few days and good for warm or hot water but not so good for drinking
water...so she brought it and rinsed it and decided to fill it some from the
fresh tub faucet water ... then she hooked it again on the hook and poured more
of the pitcher water...she refilled both pitcher and changed the washbin water
for the milk to cold water too and she now had all fresh water and a washbin,
plus the tin box of hot water...she felt ok so she emptied the pot and washbin she
had used for her washing and thought if she should wash her dress but she
decided she had had enough to be in there for now...she still didn’t like it at
night and preferred again to hide in her room with all she needed...she closed
everything all refreshed in her room and locked the doors and placed back the
bedside table in front of the door of the washroom ... and she felt safe again
...
The fire was going low but fine on it’s own
and now the water was over it getting warmer...she had ate and had plenty of
biscuits for later and tea bags and the milk this time was still fine as she
just checked ... baobab was fine too ... all was cleaned and her dresses from
today and yesterday could be washed tomorrow and dried while she would study
the documents...she checked to make sure and she still had 2 dresses and one
was on the floor to wash as she felt better to keep all by her side and not to
leave anything in the washroom...
She
opened the drawer over the fire and checked and the water seemed warm but not
too hot...tomorrow it would be perfect for a bath too...now she was happy about
it...
She
poured some little water with her hand only through her fingers on the seeds in
the cup and the soil was looking like it was cracking like pushed by
under...maybe a tiny sprout would be emerging tomorrow...she smiled...
She
still had minestrone soup left over, and her vegetables from the dinner ...she
poured them in the cauldron and added some salt they had sent her ... then she
stired it with the big scoop that she left inside the cauldron as it was in
wood and it felt amazing and cheered her up to make her own broth ... she could
use the shelf inside with the cauldron but she placed the left over bun she had
on the little shelf from under the mantel and it was warm so she broke the bun
and placed the piece on it to dry them...This is going to be delicious ...
She
also had a tea pot for later there as usual ...
she
sat at her rocking chair and letted her thoughts wonder about the situation,
now that she was feeling safe and that she had all she needed ...
After
some relaxing meditation that lasted probably an hour or so, she made a new tea
and turned the soup in the cauldron and it was getting warm and smelling nice
already...she touched the bun piece and they were also getting warm there and
dry ... she wanted to thicken the soup so she added a little bit of flour and
stirred well and let it there ... this would probably take the night but it
smelled nice ...
A
sound came from the little door...so went and checked first before to open it
as usual ... when she opened it she found a wood box and looking inside after
pulling it from the bottom shelf she looked but the door on the other side was
closed as ususal and so no one was there ... she looked and found small bags and
looking inside found beans and there were eggs, fresh eggs ... “Oh!”
she felt so happy !...she rinsed them and placed them in the cauldron
and some beans too ... “I think this is
really going to be a nice soup afterward” there was also few full carrots,
some rice and some onions ... “Awesome!” she
added some rice and one of the onion in quarters and added one of the carrot in
slices...Now she was excited and uplifted again and had almost forgot the news
from town ... she felt she had received blessings and thanked God and her hosts
in her heart, to be so anticipating her comfort ... “Baobab...do you see this ... now I am cooking my own dish on the fire
“
She
felt independent and fulfilled now... not having to wait for the trays to come
or not ... or at what time ...
That
made her feel empowered and confident ...
She went to the table and looked at the chess piece and wanted to make a joke she moved one piece and said “one for me “ ... then a square of the opponent piece spot, lighted up from the board ... She smiled and calculating that it was indeed the actual place a small opponent piece would go, she moved it where the light was and it turned off ... she then moved another of her piece ... and the light went again at another spot ... she moved another of the opponent piece and placed it where the light was ... she decided to continue this game puzzled how this worked ... but too curious not to play either ... and on and on ... one piece each after the other ... she wasn’t very used to play at chess, but she knew the basic piece move ... after few turns she moved her opponent piece where the light was and tried to move her piece but the light illuminate the whole square of her opponent before she could do so ... “hey !” she said laughing ... do you think you have won ? and the light on the board lighted up her King and the opponent pieces close to it ... then she examined this and indeed she probably was emath ... if she moved her king, she was giving the piece to the opponent and she couldn’t not play it either because she then would leave the opponent make the move closer to it ... “Well I guess you did win then ?! ... not really sure the exact rule of emath or not ...” she just giggled ... she was more in awe of this game then wining or not ... she placed her pieces back and the opponent ones and the light was off, but ... “Hum !” Thank you for the game ... and good job winning ... and she gesture over the board like giving a hand shake ...
_______________
Chapter 14
She woke up in the morning
drenched again ... she rested few minutes to meditate and regroup herself,
everything was fine in her room ... she could see from the bed the papers on
the table in the folder ... she had better get organised early in case they
wanted to talk her today ... she washed her face at the washbin, before to even
go see if her breakfast was there or not and wetted her hairs with her hands
and redid her bun ... she went to the little door in the wall, waited first to
make sure no one was there and then opened the little door and indeed a tray
was there ... Oh! She could smelled right away the delicious
warm food ... she pulled the tray from the rod and after placing it on the
table she checked if there were new logs and indeed there was...so she pulled
them out and placed them close to the fireplace for later with the ones not
used from yesterday.
She went then to wash her
hands quickly with her fresh hand made soap she had brought with her.
She opened the silver dome
on her tray and under was a full plate of a warm breakfast...some baked beans
in a small dish, an egg Benedict on a
muffin, fruits in slices in a small bowl ...”Oh
My ...this is a lot !” she exclaimed and a new jug of milk and a silver tea
pot a china cup and saucer, some salt in a tiny dish ... she made her first tea
and placed the tea pot on the small; shelf under the mantel and realised she
had forgotten last night about her “croutons” still there and dry perfectly ...
she took the tea pot that was already there since yesterday and placed it in
the tray for now on the window cill seat after taking the items and plate she
needed for her breakfast...she was going to go check the soup too that was
still there and the fire out but there she seen a note when she took the plate
out of the tray ...it had slided under the plate or was placed there
purposefully ... she took it and it was sealed with the same sign as on the
chess box ... she left it beside her plate and took also the not so appealing
for stomach papers and folder and placed them on the bedside table away so she
could eat today ... She then checked her soup really quick, she took the scoop
that was still inside and tasted it just a little and it was pretty good after
having simmer all this time ... Ah! This
will be perfect for lunch ! She said
to herself happily ...
Baobab was standing by his
plate, waiting patiently and so she took some of the food she just got, and
placed some in his bowl...he would eat anything and started to eat purring ...
She smiled, opened the
curtains and secure them with the ribbons, it was cloudy outside again and
looked it had rained a lot during the night ... fog was low on the ground too
...
She sat and sipped her tea as she unsealed the
note that she read “Dear
Miss Sophia, accept my apologies for not be present with all this situation to
be taken care of ... I ear that you have met Ruby that will be your partner in
this work we called you in ... I assume you have made yourself familiar with
more details of the situation as i could not give when we spoke and for
confidentiality ... please keep all information acquired private, as i am sure
you are use to ... Ruby is a very special person, very dedicated and very
prΓ©cised in her work, and will be working under your guidance ... be assure of
her loyalty ... she will accompany you whenever you will leave your quarters
and wherever you will go, for security, as alone is not safe anywhere, as you
probably assume after reading the papers; She is trained in self-defense and is
a black belt in Martial Art ... for reference ... You will most probably have
to go out of the propriety to investigate and meet with some citizens ... make
sure to let her know of when and to go with her, also to cover yourself as much
as possible for health reason as we are not sure the cause of this illness but
some symptoms or sequelea of it, as you seen on the photos, might be contagious
possibly, and so it for measures of preventives that i insist you wear a
medical mask, as the nurses do and gloves if you touch or shake hands ... also
... you will be quanrantining yourself for 48 hours, after going out anywhere
from your quarters and see if you are still fine before to go again ... At any
sign of illness yourself, you are require to advise your maid and Ruby and
postpone until well and stay in your quarters...you may ask anything that may
make you feel better if ill also to you maid to bring you ... and please, as we
have done since this starts and advise by the hospital and local doctor ... change
all your clothes and wash, after getting back home and wash the clothes right
away ... in case of contamination.
I
have advise of your services to the city and our connections, and so bring this
letter with you to present with ID and you will be welcome where you need to go
...
I
suggest starting tomorrow as time is precious and delay are many...
We
have also a courier on horse normally, but now not really reliable if ill or
quarantine ... you can ask if you wish to require something specific instead of
going in person ...
I am delighted you also got acquainted with
“l” ... playing chess ... “l” is also a very special friend of us ... Please practice
your chess playing in security of mind that we know “l” and encourage he also to
practice his playing chess with a human ... mostly his loosing the game skill ...
i have added for you here the rule in case he had tried to pretend he had won the
game, by changing the rules at the end ... something he always tried with new opponents...
Best
of luck for tomorrow and your first day work with Ruby. Please feel free also to
use our guest office and small home Library, for meeting with Ruby first and if
you need to use any of the office to work ... let her know what time and she will
bring you there ... you can leave a note to your maid to ask her to bring a tray
of tea’s and biscuits there for the afternoon for both of you.
I
pray for all of us and will meet with you soon but please start with Ruby, not to
delay any findings that could help faster.
All
the best in your work both
M
Zachary”
She placed it beside her plate
after she was done reading it and started to eat her egg Benedict, one of her favorite
dish ... she had better get prepared today for tomorrow to start ... and where was
she going to start and be the guide into this ... now she felt this was her first
job and hoped the places were reversed and she would just followed Ruby’s guidance
instead !
_____________
Chapter 15 written April 29th
2023 at the edge of Beltane ...
She worked around the room
for a couple of hour after changing quickly to her yesterday dress just to work
around, she would change in fresh clothes after her bath ... she made new wood
chips and placed all the logs close to the fireplace, she cleaned her dishes
after her meal and the tea cups and tea pot ... she cleaned baobab dish after
placing the left over in the bag she had kept for this so far but where to put
this ? maybe she could open the window and leave it for the bird ...why she
didn’t think of it before ... she emptied what she had kept so far dried and
from today and placed it on the window edge outside just out of opening the
window ... it made a noise and she thought she had better to this later another
day not to attrack attention ... the tree in front of the window would cover
most of the view from the ground, mostly with this fog ... tomorrow she would
be more precautious, but for today it must be fine ... she kept what she would
use later and few silverware and a tea cup and saucer and some food extra for
later, the fruits and some beans left; then she returned the tray in the
compartment with the dishes washed quickly and all emptied. She then added in a
saucer she had kept the bread croutons she had prepared yesterday for her soup
later she had made herself...she started the fire again and turned the soup
over it in the cauldron and soon it started to smell good from it ... she
watered from her hand the seed she had planted and small green lines where
pushing from bellow coming out ... they were germinating ! Now she was feeling
uplifted ... this place felt hers now with her cat, her cooking, her plants,
and her work ... even the birds outside she was getting to feed and the wool
waiting there for some evening relaxing time ...
Everything was in place and
tidy ... she would go for a bath when the water would be hot enough in the
drawer over the fire and then wash her clothes and this will be done if she was
busy tomorrow ... opening the drawer indeed she touched the water that was warm
and decided that it was ok for her bath ... so she opened the doors to the
washroom and left a chair as ususal in the doorway, opening the faucet after
rinsing the tub with cold water from the cold water faucet, she started to fill
the tubwith the water from the other faucet... at first it was cold and so she
discarded that water ... maybe it was the left water from the pipe until the
one from the tube would come ... no pressure ... ?! ... the water wasn’t coming
out after few minutes ...?! she left to go check the drawer and she had
forgotten to check how it kept the water first to warm it ... Ah! She seen that
at the bottom of the drawer was a round disk and looking under it there wasn’t
anything to pull it out ?! how this work when the water is hot to let it go to
the tubes ?! she closed the drawer back and following the tubes going under it
from the side she seen the little liver to pull and a faucet...she pulled on
the liver slowly and eard a sliding noise form inside the drawer area where she
had seen the disk...eard a bubling sound and turned the faucet...she eard
sounds like there were movement in the tubes ... AH! She then turned the faucet
more and touching the tubes they were hotter now ... ah i see how this works ... she touched the tubes as she followed
the wall and she could feel the water moving inside ... she went back to the
tub and reopened the faucet and soon the warm water came out to the tub ...
running hot water ! it wasn’t too hot but it would do ... she enjoyed her bath
and washing her long hair ... she felt pampered ...
After she got dress in a new
dress she had brought with her ... she washed her dress and the other that were
on the floor in the room ... she had soap and use some soda powder they had
sent in a tiny bag ... she let them drained after rinseing them and the idea to
wash all here in the tub was a lot easier ... in an hour or so she will placed
them on the side of the fireplace hook to dry ... and washed the tub ...
leaving all this like this for now she closed the doors and removed the chair
... then she thought she should get used to leave it open to feel it part of
her room ... and so even if it felt a little uncomfortable, she did leave the
chair in the doorway and the doors open. The fire had stopped and she needed to
realighting it, thankfully to the wood chips she had prepared ... it started
now that she was there very quickly and she would make sure it wouldn’t go out
anymore ... she had to refill the whole drawer she realised if she wanted to
have hot water again ... Oh ... this time
I will get organise better and i can have a bath everyday ... so she
refilled the drawer and that took probably 1 hour with one pitcher at a time
with cold water ... this will be hot
tomorrow ... !!! when she was
finally done ... she brushed her hair nicely and redid her bun ... and added
her ribbons ...
She would have some of her
soup she had prepared and not wait for the lunch tray and instead keep it like
yesterday for the dinner all together ... so she had some of the soup she had
prepared and added some salt and added the croutons in it and it was good ...
pretty good without all the seasoning or spices at hand and only from left
overs ... still she had made it herself and so it felt delicious and filling
...
Now she had to send a note
to ruby for tomorrow ... where were they to start ? ... she was thinking ...
maybe we will just go to the office first and meet and order some Tea and see
what we think for a plan together ... better then start to go to people with
someone that you have never talk to ... that was good ... they would make a
plan and get familiar with each other and the day after they would go to the
town ...
Decided she started to write “Dear Miss Ruby, this is Miss Sophia writing, I would like to meet with you tomorrow after lunch in the office, as M Zachary has authorize, to make a plan together about how we will work about this situation, please meet me tomorrow outside my quarters after lunch to go with me as I do not know where the office is and M Zachary was stern about not going alone anywhere. Also please prepare a mask, as per his recommendation, for the next day when we will be going out to the town together, so also make some time available for that day...we will decide the time and the details tomorrow.
Looking
forward to work with you
Miss
Sophia”
She then left the letter on
the bottom shelf on the compartment, where the tray was gone from before ...
and wrote on it folded, with big letters, FOR MISS RUBY please ...
Then she went to the window
and looked outside but the fog made it that she could barely see past the tree.
She felt restless, she knew the contect of
the folder so looking at it now would not make her feel better...maybe distress
for an hour until Tea time and then she could look at it ... she needed to find
something to do to meditate her thoughts about the plan she should present
tomorrow ... maybe some wool to untangle ... she then went to the mantel and
remembered the piece of wood she had left there without instructions with the
bag full of clips and screws ... she took the parts and brought them to the
table and emptied the bag ... what could
this be ?! Looking at it and the lovely polished wood sticks she seen 2
stick were all soft and longer, then 2 were shorter but with grooves on one
side like a sort of thick comb but it wasn’t for hair ... ?! there was place
for the long screw to fit through and even the double length ... Ah...maybe
they were to attached 2 pieces together then and indeed the long screw was the
perfect length to attached 2 pieces of wood together and the clip to attached
it at the end of the crew and make it solid ...ok so now she had 2 piece of
wood length twice but still no idea what it was ... she went to get the wool to
try something ... it wasn’t to cook ... too polished ... she tried a string of
yarn through the groove and indeed it fitted perfectly ... ah ! not for hair but for wool then ! she was getting happier as she was figuring
this puzzle ... she then folded the pieces attached together and made a frame
with the four pieces and attached them all together and she had 2 long polished
sides and 2 narrower with grooves...she tried to turn the wool throught the
groove from one to the other and it looked it would work but the groove were
outside and the other one inside ... she inclipped them and made reclipped them
this time the same way to make a nice frame with the long piece on the side and
the grooved one on the top and bottom with the grooved facing the top and the
bottom...then she tried to turn the yarn from one groove to the other ... from
the top to the bottom ... and so on ... and so on ... until she had all the
grooved filled with the yarn ... she secured the end of it together to each
side clip ... then she looked at it smiling ... there was another part of
polished wood of same size of the top and bottom piece, with long grooved too,
even more so like a comb...but without any whole for clips or screws as there
wasn’t any extra either ... Baobab !
Guess what this is they offered me ! ... she said to him looking at her
curiously as she showed him the frame
with the yarn on it ... she giggled and combed the yarn with the piece that was
extra with the long grooved and it was perfectly aligned with the yarn and
follow each string through it to straightened them ... from top to
bottom...like combing the yarn string ... as she did she was laughing and exclaimed
“A Weaving frame !”
...more delighted then a child as she patted Baobab on
the head just delighted she was so happy...he started to purr happy of his
success !
_______________________________
Chapter 16 written May 1st
2023 BELTANE
The afternoon passed fast,
after she had set the weaving frame together, she left it on the rocking chair
for the evening; now she wanted to revise the document once more and then she
will come with some plan while she would relax; her house work was done and
thankfully she did it all in the morning before lunch, so she could concentrate
now.
She read everything a second
time and review all the details she could memorized; took few notes on the
pieces of paper she had; still with all the details there was here, nothing to
link to a cause of this sudden set of so varied symptoms; it couldn’t be a flu
or some sort of virus because since most afflicted had been intern to the
hospital, the staff would have know by now if it was the case. Also the
symptoms so varied, behavioural, possession, illness and fever, violence or
insanity, crime or hospitalized ?! what a
broad range of cause effect to work with ?! Some with the priest, some in all different areas of the hospital and
some with the police and other in the mental aisle ... was it really the
same cause ... or did someone did this to
them s-e-p-a-r-a-t-e-l-y- ... like a different ... p-o-i-s-o-n- maybe ...
she was thinking outloud now ... maybe a
different product ... or maybe a different S-P-E-L-L- ... ! Euh !
Lost in her thinking, she had got carried away thinking out loud and
writing at the same time like if she was talking with someone ... or someone to
her ...
She looked at her note and
the words that were spelled differently ... Hum!
This is almost more plausible indeed
that it is a person that target the citizen separately with something different
then ... The priest letter seemed to
think it so ... but m Zachary insist about gloves and mask and changing like in
the case of a virus ... and then the police is also looking for criminal
evidence with the court ... but almost all the affected were now hospitalized
after few days of different outcome ?! Hum! It also look like they were all ill
at the same time or so , but had different outcomes and all end up in the
hospital because of this same cause ... Unfortunately that with all her
expertise, she wasn’t a nurse or a doctor and wasn’t knowledgeable enough in
the medicine area to know if a certain virus could affect peoples in different
ways and not all by fever or obvious symptoms like cough ... She made a note on
a different page ... * aquire a medical
book and study it ... she write for
herself ... The first step would then be to ask the doctor or nurse what was in
common whit all the patient at this point that were IN the hospital ... maybe after few days the symptoms were
starting to get similar ?! ... she wrote on a different page ... PLAN : - ask
medical staff involve in all cases, for similarity of symptoms & possible
assume cause or link from medical view or other known virus that could do this
...
Now we have a start point at
least ...
Then
maybe it would be good to meet with the priest and see what he has seen and
what he thinks of this ... she wrote – meet with priest
Should she contact him to
day and ask him to come meet with them here ... or maybe at the hospital when
he visited some patients ?! That would be wise to ask him when and where as he
must be very busy ... she wrote “ Dear M
Priest, I am Miss Sophia, working for M Zachary, at the Estate; I would like to
meet with you at your earliest convenience about this strange situation and have
your expertise about it since you have been with some of the patient already
and have tried some treatments. Please write as when and where would be best
for you to meet with me and my work partner Miss RubΓ½; we can go to the
presbytery to meet with you, or you can
meet with us here at the estate office or we can meet at the hospital if it is
easier on a day you are already there to meet the patients. Please advise ...
Sincerely ... Miss Sophia” she then
sealed the letter with some wax from the candle and initialled it on the wax
still soft ... then she placed it in the compartment for the maid to see it and
wrote on it “Dear maid friend, please
send this note to the local priest as soon as it is possible to have courier
for it ... nothing of myself urgently, but needing to meet with him about the events.
Best of thanks “ and she left it there for her to find it ...
The note she had left before
lunch for RubΓ½ was gone so she assumed she had got it for tomorrow...now she
was frustrated she had decided to wait to tomorrow and should have get a head
start and met with her today ...
She was feeling edgy again
and could only wait to tomorrow to get
anything done ... she didn’t had anything with her to read relevant to this or medical ... now she was
frustrated and felt like just go out of this room and just find this office by
herself ... no ... she wouldn’t ... M Zachary was stern about not going
anywhere alone ... she would just have to wait ...
She wrote another note for
the maid : “Dear maid friend, please
bring some more sheets of paper if possible ...”
She left it with the other
note but it was gone already and her dinner tray was already there ...Ah! she didn’t ear anything ... she was
too frustrated to really pay attention about it ... she took the tray and
placed it on the table for later but prepared a tea and took the dessert now
... this might calm her down ... she sat at the widow cill seat and looking
outside she drank some tea, but with the fog it was even worst and so she went
to sit at her rocking chair with her tea and dessert and looking at the fire
she just waited thinking what hypothesis she had about the whole thing and the
plan she best make and the links in her head that would come and was trying to
get some idea she didn’t think of before ... she felt there was something she
had missed ... Yes! That’s it ! There is an information i missed that i seen
... i overlooked something ... i feel like this because it is calling to me ...
she stood out of the chair and placed the tea and cookie plate on the mantel
and went to the table ... the she paused and took a deep breath ... and reopened
the folder like if she was looking at it for the 100 time ... like if the
information was going to stands out in front of her eyes ... she turned the
page one by one, looked all pages without detail, but from top to bottom this
time slowly ... letting her brain do the
work ... assimilating ... she touched every pages like ready the words with her
fingers ... from top to bottom ... she turned the page one after the other in
this way and at the last page ... she sighted ... Nothing! She didn’t got one cues ... a sound started her at the
window ... the fog was still heavy past the tree ... she startled and went to
look ... the left over food was all gone ... she decided to give the left over
croutons she had dried and placed some very quickly and silently opening and
closing the window on the window sill outside ... then she went to wash her
hands to the washbin...she remembered her dresses were to dry still in the tub
...i better to do this now so they will have the time to dry and close this
door ... and she did so ... still the room was lighted but she could get where
the light was from ... she took all the clothes now drained and placed them on
the hook ... and since it was dripping a little she then placed the metal tin
with her seedlings on the floor under them ...Here some water ... perfect ! she smiled and closed the doors and
secured them with the bed side table after refilling the pitchers with cold
water and cleaning the bath nice.
Sitting at the rocking chair
again with the fire going, she wasn’t hungry yet and it was too early, not even
dark outside yet...she took some wool and started a new weaving project with
the weaving frame she had fixed together earlier and tried to relax doing this
while her thoughts were jungling in her head ... still she knew she had missed
the information ... or the clue ... she
felt that it was just there and she didn’t see it ... she had to force herself
to stay put on her chair ... looking outside again and the fog was still heavy
past the tree ... lots of birds it seemed though ... l-o-t-s o-f b-i-r-d-s ...
the thought echoed again in her head and she made mental note of it ... indeed
she would have thought there would be less birds on a foggy day !
After half an hour she
refilled her tea and opened the dome to see what the meal was and Oh!
A full plate of hot grilled sausages, sliced pickles, roast potatoes, a cabbage salad in a
small dish, some bread twisted and sprinkle with coarse salt in a plate for
later maybe and a small jug closed with a lid and a fancy glass ... she looked
and smelled inside the jug and it smelled fruity, she poured some in the glass
and found it to be red wine ... although she wasn’t drinking normally, she
tough that this was probably traditional with this type of meal since they
didn’t sent this before and thought maybe for digestion with the meat she would
have a sip for politeness ... then she thought this to be strange ... didn’t M
Zachary said that they were vegetarians ?! he had explained the Estate had farm
animals for milk and eggs only ... there was a note slided under the plate and
she looked ... vegetarian-soy sausages ... a new recipe we have been offered by
my hosts were I was staying with for the last days and we wanted to try it here
... please let us know ... the wine is from the Estate and we will send some
now at night as advise by the local doctor for health Medicine of propriety for
this specific food that showed improvement with some patients to lower the
level of some bacterias in their urine tests ... as per so we insist you have
few sip with your meal to prevent infections of the same sort as many other
patients have been suffering recently ... also find a sachet of fruit tea also
proven to help prevent and reduce same bacterias and verified with other
patients ... and also find a Precious Jug of Whisky for Medicine purposes as
well also proven to treat infections on the skin and inside the body ... other
type of viruses and for prevention please have also few sips for Medicine
purposes ...
She looked at the second jug
with the amber liquid inside and opening it she smelled it and felt the
strength of the liquor ... This was thoughtful and she wouldn’t have asked
unless she felt ill as she knew these home medicine to be very effective but
this great to have it and not have to ask, mostly that they knew about the
medicine propriety ... she was relieved she didn’t had to ask and be
misinterpreted about it and that she had all the medicine she would need in
case ill now with her. She placed the Whisky Jug on the mantel with one of the
fancy glass they had sent, and the Red Wine Jug beside it with the other fancy
glass they had sent also.
She still had milk from
today in the cold water she had just changed ... she had all she could need
with her ... she gave some of her food to Baobab in his dish, he waiting
patiently ... and she sat at the table to eat now hungry and why not eat early
not that this was hot...she could eat more later too.
She ate looking outside at
the same time since it was still daylight and what was this ... wasps ! or
maybe bees ?! ... I guess they liked the food she had placed there and the
croutons now ... Still she looked at them and there was something telling her
something she couldn’t ear ... f-o-g ...B-e-e-s ... w-a-s-p ... B-i-r-d-s ...
now she wished she was a biologist, she grabbed the list from before and wrote buy ecology book and study ... this work will not soon be about her
expertise but about what she was lacking ...
She moved the list and some
papers slipped from under the few notes and she seen the one she had started
one day for the maid ...
“Dear
M Zachary, thank you so much for the ___ thank you for the flour attentions
___to your maid ___food was ___items you sent ___much bread___appreciated_____
Why she kept this ... she
was crunched it and threw it on the floor to pick it up later after she would
eat ...
The other note she wrote
today on another piece of paper
“... Also the symptoms so varied,
behavioural
possession
illness
and fever
violence
or insanity
crime
or hospitalized ?!
Some
with the priest
some
in all different areas of the hospital some with the police
other
in the mental aisle ...
was it really the same cause
...
or
did someone did this to them
s-e-p-a-r-a-t-e-l-y-
... like a different ...
p-o-i-s-o-n-
maybe ...
maybe
a different product ...
or
maybe a different S-P-E-L-L- ...”
?!
She paused and went quickly
to get the crunched paper on the floor and uncrunched it ... she should know
better when working not to throw ANYTHING EVER ... All could be linked later or
relevant in some ways of Insight ! What made her do this now ... all wrinkled
now she still placed the sheets of papers together on the folder ...
She went to get a quarter of
the glass of red wine and brought it to the table ... she did the graces ... she
ate with appetite ...
_______________
TO BE CONTINUED